By: Madeline Langley
Resources: earthjustice.org
thinkquest.org

• The oil smothered coral formations, messed up the food chain, affected life forms, and layered vast areas of ocean floor with tarry deposits.
• The oil spill is a tremendous threat to fish, birds, turtles, endangered wildlife, and any animal that lives in the sea.
People will try to save them, but do not always succeed.
Animals are in huge danger if they are coated in oil. (This is a turtle)

Birds die from oil spills if their feathers are covered in oil because the bird will try and clean its feathers and then will be poisoned by the oil. Also, the oil is too heavy for the bird to fly. If workers have found sea birds that are not dead because of oil, they will take the birds to a cleaning center or captivity where they are kept in a facility because they can not live in the wild on their own. When a bird is taken in to a professional the oil will be flushed from its eyes, intestines, and feathers. The bird will be checked for other injuries like broken bones, and will take a special medicine to prevent any more damage. When the bird seems better, it will take a test on its abilities to float in the water and keep water away from its body. As soon as the bird passes the test it will be let out into the wild.

Sea otters are affected by oil very much. The otter’s body may get covered in oil, which causes build up in the otter’s air bubbles. These air bubbles are located in the otter’s fur. Air bubbles help otters survive the cold oceans.
They act like a cover over the otter’s body and help them float in the water. When oil builds up in the air bubbles, the otters may die of hypothermia (low body temperature). Many sea otters are being placed in captivity after the oil spill until the they are cleaned and ready to live in the ocean again.

Many people don’t think about the small animals that are affected by oil spills such as:
Plankton, larval fish, and bottom dwelling organisms. Even seaweed, clams, oysters, and mussels can be affected by oil spills. Only offshore accidents normally cause the deaths of these small sea animals because that is their main home.

Oil spills are one of the ways killer whales became endangered. The oil may get eaten or go into the whale’s blowhole. A blowhole is a hole to help the whale breathe. Sometimes, whales rise up out of the water to take a breath. The main reason whales die is because they eat a fish that swam through the oil. If a fish swam through the oil and a whale eats the fish, it also eats the oil. Now that the whale has eaten the oil, it has been poisoned.

Animals can die when they get hypothermia, which is when their body temperature is too low.
Oil may also cause an animal to die by entering the animal’s lungs or liver. Then, the animal will be poisoned by the oil.
Lastly, oil also can kill an animal by blinding it. The animal will no longer be able to see anything like its predators so they might get eaten.

• When hundreds of plankton die because of oil, that specie of animal may become extinct. Then, fish won’t be able to eat the plankton, so they will become extinct. A killer whale could then become extinct because it can’t eat the fish.
• This is what happens when a specie becomes extinct as a result of an oil spill. The oil spill can damage the entire food chain in the area.

• The length of coastline affected by the oil spill is equal to five Californias.
• 206 million gallons of oil escaped into the ocean in
April 2010.
• Animals that are in captivity because of an oil spill will be cleaned by professionals and volunteers.
• Oil spills are sometimes the reason why animals become endangered.

The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred on March 23,
1989. The list below shows how animals have been affected.
Not Recovered
Animals :
Recovered
Animals:
Bald Eagle
River Otter
Recovering
Animals:
Common Loon
Cormorant
Killer Whale
Harbor Seal
Harlequin Duck
Pigeon Quillemont
Black oystercatcher
Common murre
Marbled murrelett
Mussel
Pacific Herring
Pink Salmon
Sea Otter
Sockeye Salmon
Recovery is unknown:
Cutthroat Trout
Dolly Varden
Kittlitz murrelet
Rockfish

Are you wondering what the animals feel like when they are covered in oil? I did, so I decided to find out.
Supplies:
• A bowl
• Water
• Hot chocolate powder
• Oil (any kind)
• A clean bird feather (Optional)
• First, take the bowl and pour water in it. Then, pour the hot chocolate mix into the water. Now your water should be brown to resemble the color of the oil. Next, pour some oil into the water. Finally, dip your finger or bird feather into the water to feel it. Now that your feather or finger is slimy go to the sink and see how much water it takes to get it completely off.